It is a well known fact, that specific sites in the central nervous system (the CNS) of a living animal body, including a human, exhibit highly specific binding for benzodiazepines such as for example diazepam. These binding sites are named benzodiazepine receptors. Lately, several subtypes of such benzodiazepine receptors have been isolated and described by techniques of modern molecular biology.
Numerous compounds belonging to different series of compounds having affinity for the benzodiazepine receptors have been synthesized during the last three decades. However, although the benzodiazepine receptor sites still are considered as very attractive biological sites for interfering with the CNS to treat various disorders and diseases, then nearly all previously synthesized compounds acting at these receptor sites have failed during clinical development because of unacceptable side effects.
Therefore, there is still a large need to identify novel compounds interacting with the benzodiazepine receptors.